Socket wrench kit



DeC- 22, 1936. N, F. MCNAUGHT ET An. 2,065,341

SOCKET WRENCH KIT y Filed Jan. 2s, 195e Patented ec. 22%, 193@ UNITED STATES SOCKET WRENCH KIT Norris McNaught and son, Chicago, lill., assi Edward Henry Peter gnors to Buro Metal Products Company, Chicago, Jill., a corporation of illinois Application January 23, 1936, Serial No. 60.406

Claims.

The present invention relates to socket wrench kits and is particularly concerned with a socket wrench kit of the type including a plurality of the wrench members which are usually called sockets, with or without a wrench lever.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of an improved socket wrench kit .in which the sockets are so disposed that by moving one socket and then giving the housing of the kit a quick lateral movement all of the sockets move from their nested or packed condition into predetermined positions in grooves of the housing where the sockets are immediately available for removal.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved socket wrench kit comprising a housing which confines the sockets on three sides by means of the walls of the housing and an ovcrhanging ledge at the top, the fourth side of each socket being engaged by an inwardly projecting lug carried by a flange which is disposed in a plane located between the top and bottom of the sockets, said flange having a plurality of partially circular grooves forreceiving the sockets and for holding the sockets in available position, clearing the overmhanging ilange so Athat they can be removed through said grooves.

@ther objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which simi- Y lar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the single sheet of drawings,

Fig. 1 is a topV plan View of a socket wrench kit constructed according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, with the wrench lever removed and the largest socket removed, all of the remaining sockets being moved into such position that they clear the over-hanging confining flange and are ready for removal;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the kit housing;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View of a modification having an additional socket-receiving groove.

Referring to Fig. 3, the housing for the socket wrench kit preferably comprises a stamped sheet metal member of box-like form, which is preferably constructed of sheet steel. The housing may comprise a substantially flat bottom l0, which tapers toward the left end, the taper being determined by the difference in size in the sockets which are to be placed in the housing.

The housing has a rear Wall l l, which is carried by the bottom il! and which carries at its upper edge an overhanging flange I2 located at such a height as to come directly over the sockets when they are packed in the housing, as shown in Fig. 1. The end of the housing may be closed by an end flange i3, which is attached to the rear wall Il and bent forward at the corner I4.r The front (ci, ecc-is) wall i5 of4 the housing is carried bythe bottom ld, and comprises an upwardly extending flange which has a plurality of inwardly projecting lugs iii. which may be considered as part of a horizontal flange.

The front wall i5 is preferably substantially half the height of the rear wall l l, or slightly more than half, so that parts of its horizontal flange i6` are adapted to engage the sockets at a middle portion and support the sockets in the po'- sition of Fig. 2. This horizontal flange I V6r is provided with a plurality of partially circular grooves or cut-outs l l, which may be graduated in size so that the grooves substantially fitI the sockets which are toV be placed adjacent the grooves respectively. Thus the grooves toward the right in Fig. 3 are larger than the ones toward the leftl end. iVhat is left of the flange i6 thus forms a plurality of inwardly projecting lugs, eachlug being located substantially in line with a diameter of the adjacent socket, which diameter is at right angles to the' major or longitudinal axis of the housing.

The width of the bottom lil and the depth of the grooves ll are such that when the sockets to be used with the housing are disposed in the position of Fig. 2 they all clear the over-hanging ange l2. The length o f the lugs l5 and width of vthe bottom lll are such that when the sockets are disposed in the position of Fig. 1 they are securely held against the rear wall ll.

The rear wall is preferably provided with a resilient finger i8 which has its end bent inwardly, extending substantially parallel to the flange i6 and adapted to engage the endmost socket i9 when the sockets are in the position of Fig. 1. This resilient finger is thus adapted to hold all of the sockets of Fig. 1 through the engagement of each socket with its adjacent sockets.

'Ihe kit may also include a wrench lever 26, preferably consisting of a bar of with the end bent laterally. This wrench may have its laterally bent end extending through a hole 2l in the rear wall H, and it may have its body disposed parallel to and behind the rear wall l l. The body of the wrench may be held by means of a rearwardly and upwardly projecting spring finger 28, which engages about the Wrench lever and holds it against the rear wall Il.

The mode of manipulation of the present wrench kit is as follows: When the wrench has been removed the largest socket i9 may be forced toward the right against the pressure of the spring finger i8 by the han-d of the operator, after Vwhich any slight jarring of the housing or sockets will cause all of the sockets to roll toward the right'in Fig. 1 into the position of Fig. 2. Each socket is then disposed in alg'roove Il of suitable size to hold the socket, and each socket hexagonal stock 2 has moved until it clears the over-hanging flange l2.

The kit is preferably held in the position of Fig. 2 during this movement so as to take advantage of the action of gravity on the sockets to cause the sockets to roll into the position of Fig. 2.

The sockets being kept in order of size, any one may then be very quickly removed by sliding out through its groove l1. The other sockets are held in their proper position by the walls of the grooves which confine them, and it is a relatively simple matter to replace the socket that has been used, and to keep the sockets in order of size.

When they have all been placed back in the housing, the endmost socket I9 may then be forced toward the left in Fig. 2 until it engages the spring nger I8 and reaches the position of Fig. l. During this movement, all of the other sockets will ride up on the cam-shaped walls of the grooves l1 until they rest upon the ends of the lugs I6, as shown in Fig. 1, and are confined between these lugs and the rear wall Il.

In the embodiment of Figs. l to 3, it is necessary to first remove the largest or endmost socket I9 in order to permit the other sockets to move into their respective grooves; but in the embodiment of Fig. 4 the endmost socket I9 may be moved over into its groove instead of being completely removed from the housing.

It will thus be observed that we have invented an improved socket wrench kit in which the housing is so constructed that the sockets may be very quickly moved from packed condition into the available position by a mere flick of the wrist.

The sockets are held in classified or orderly arrangement by the structure of the housing so that any socket which is removed can quickly be put back in its proper position to maintain this arrangement.

While we have illustrated and described a specie embodiment of our invention, many modications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and we do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. In a. socket wrench kit, the combination of a receptacle with a plurality of sockets, the sockets being arranged side by side in a line, said receptacle supporting said sockets at the bottom and having a side wall engaging the side of the line of sockets, an over-hanging flange formed on said receptacle and engaging the top of the sockets when they are located against said side wall, and inwardly extending lugs extending transversely to the axes of said sockets as so arranged in the receptacle and engaging the opposite sides of the sockets at points between the ends of the sockets to confine them in the receptacle, said inwardly extending lugs being spaced apart a distance sufcient to accommodate the respective sockets and permit their removal from under said overhanging flange when moved longitudinally of said receptacle.

2. In a socket wrench kit, the combination of a receptacle with a. plurality of sockets, the sockets being arranged side by side in a line, said receptacle supporting said sockets at the bottom and having a side wall engaging the side of the line of sockets, an over-hanging flange formed on said receptacle and engaging the top of the sockets when they are located against said side wall, and inwardly extending lugs projecting toward said side wall and adapted to engage the sides of the sockets at points between the ends thereof to confine them in the housing, said inwardly extending lugs being so spaced as to form intermediate openings to receive said sockets and hold them in classified arrangement when the sockets are all moved laterally a predetermined distance and to permit their removal from under the overhanging flange of the receptacle.

3. In a socket wrench kit, the combination of a receptacle with a plurality of sockets, the sockets being arranged side by side in a line, said receptacle supporting said sockets at the bottom and having a side wall engaging the side of the line of sockets, an over-hanging flange engaging the top of the sockets when they are located against said side wall, and inwardly extending lugs engaging the sides of the sockets at points between the ends of the sockets and in their axial planes to confine them in packed position in the housing, said inwardly extending lugs being so spaced as to define openings therebetween to receive said sockets whereby they are held by said lugs in classified arrangement when the sockets are all moved laterally a predetermined distance, the space between said adjacent lugs being of suiiicient width so that the sockets are adapted to clear said over-hanging flange when they are located therein.

4. In a socket wrench kit, the combination of a receptacle with a plurality of sockets, the sockets being arranged side by side in a line, said receptacle supporting said sockets at the bottom and having a side wall engaging the side of the line of sockets, an over-hanging flange engaging the tops of the sockets when they are located against said side wall, and inwardly extending lugs formed on said receptacle and projecting toward said side wall to engage the opposite sides of the sockets at points between the ends of the sockets to confine them in the receptacle when in packed position, said inwardly extending lugs being so shaped and spaced as to dene a plurality of grooves to receive said sockets and hold them in classified arrangement when the sockets are all moved laterally a predetermined distance, said grooves having substantially partially spherical outlines to t said sockets and to cause said sockets to be cammed out of said grooves by any force acting longitudinally of said housing on said sockets.

5. A socket wrench kit comprising a receptacle for confining a plurality of sockets on three sides and a plurality of sockets located in said receptacle, a confining flange carried by said receptacle, inwardly directed lugs formed on said flange and located intermediate the ends of said sockets when in packed position, said lugs being so shaped and spaced as to define a plurality of grooves, one groove being located adjacent each of said sockets, but longitudinally displaced therefrom whereby all of said sockets may be moved laterally to fall into said grooves by gravity and to clear a confining portion oi said receptacle.

NORRIS F. MCNAUGHT. EDVJARD HENRY PETERSON.

Cil 

